Joan Freeman (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to see the Minister here. On a personal level, his enthusiasm, knowledge and belief in what the HSE can deliver are commendable. I apologise for being a little late getting to the Chamber. When I got here, the music from the film "Jaws" came into my head. It is a case of me being Jaws, incidentally, because I seem to attack every person who is involved with mental health.

The Minister could probably sing what I am about to say. It all sounds wonderful but the big problem at present is staffing levels. We will have 480 new beds, 38 new primary care centres and all these wonderful things, but who will work in them? Members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association were outside Leinster House today. They have been fighting for two years. I told Mr. Peter Hughes that it was a waste of time standing outside because we are in a bubble in the Houses. We are unaware of the trauma many people are going through. The core issue in resolving the problems, particularly in the mental health services, is to look at what we have and fix that first. That is far easier than spending millions on something that might be lying idle or God knows whether it will happen in the three years the Minister specifies.

This is probably not the time, but I will raise this matter because of the Minister's courteous manner. I am being equally courteous to him. I have asked on several occasions if the Committee on Future of Mental Health Care can be resumed or recreated. The Taoiseach said he would do so, but it has not happened. A year later we are still no further. This committee is vital and I am putting my question directly to the Minister. I can see that he cares deeply about people with mental health issues. We need that committee because it makes the HSE accountable, something Minister cannot do publicly. We brought members of the HSE before the committee and asked them about their budgets. Their answer usually was that they did not have the software to show what they spend, item by item. We can give out stink about it publicly but the Minister cannot. It is important to have that committee to hold the HSE accountable. I ask the Minister to please consider what I have said.

The next question probably shows my lack of knowledge about politics. The Minister has put a policy or structure in place and says it is going to happen over the next three years. It might be a silly question but what if the Minister is not the Minister for Health? What will happen then? What if Fine Gael is not returned to office?